Ragnarok Odyssey Ace Review

 

Ragnarok Odyssey Ace provided me with a sense of deja vu when I played the game. Not necessarily because the game was a rehash of Ragnarok Oddyssey which premiered on the Vita a few years ago. No, it was actually because the game is all too similar to what we have been receiving on the Vita over and over, but with no greater value added. We have been receiving so many Japanese RPG monster beat em-ups, however each one seems to just be a replay of the last. Ragnarok Odyssey Ace adds very little to the genre that fills our Vitas, and adds very little to the original Ragnarok Odyssey.

Gameplay 7/10- The gameplay in Ragnarok Odyssey Ace is very similar to that of the many RPG games we have been receiving on the Vita. Now, this is not necessarily a problem, however the game can ware on you after a while just from the feeling of "having done this all before." Ragnarok Odyssey does not do a whole lot to change the genre, and barely puts their own fresh spin on it. That all being said, the gameplay is actually quite fun if you give it some time.

Once you start the game you will be able to create your character while choosing between six different character classes. Each class has its own special abilities and weapon. The classes include the swordsman, hammersmith, assassin, hunter, mage, and cleric. Each class is your run of the mill character class, most RPG fans will know which class they want before even starting the game. The one difference that Ragnarok does well is to allow players the ability to swap character classes after getting past a few chapters in the game. This feature definitely comes in handy after you realize you don't like the weapon or abilities your class has.

Overall the rest of the Gameplay is quite fun. You will balance your time between exploring dungeons, fighting monsters, taking on side quests, and doing the various activities available when at home base. When at the home base you will be able to craft weapons, buy new costumes, and upgrade skills and armor. The town even has a beauty parlor where you can change your characters appearance.

The town has plenty of things to do when not in missions, however the missions comprise the meat of the game, and sadly the missions are the reason the gameplay rating is only a 7. The worst thing about the missions is how repetitive they are. For those who are not necessarily die hard rpg fans the game can grow old. It seems as if each mission is relatively the same. For me personally this is ok because I enjoy using the missions to upgrade my character and find new cards and weapons. However for others sometimes it is necessary for a game to allow a little variety, and Ragnarok Odyssey doesn't do that.

The good thing about Ragnarok Odyssey Ace is that you do get your moneys worth. The game has over 30 hours of gameplay in the main storyline alone. When you throw in the new dungeon that was added onto the original Ragnarok Odyssey, you can get around another 5 hours of gameplay. The new dungeon comprises of 200 floors and consists of random stages. This is the biggest addition added from the original Ragnarok Odyssey.

Overall the Gameplay is fun enough, however there are a few issues that could be addressed such as the repetitiveness and the lack of originality. Other than those two issues the gameplay can be quite enjoyable.

Story 5/10- Ragnarok Odyssey Ace puts you in the shoes of a new recruit for a band of mercenaries. You must fight with the band of mercenaries to defeat the "Giants" that have invaded your land.  This is the very bland and boring summary of the games story.

I have complained about how Ragnarok Odyssey Ace had just thrown another RPG at us that was unoriginal and that could have been a clone of any other JRPG. However they failed to add in a decent story like most JRPGs do. They gave us fairly good gameplay but definitely left us hanging when it came to a story. The story in Ragnarok Odyssey Ace does not allow players to become emotionally attached to any of the characters, and makes players feel as if they are just going along with the motions.

On top of all this the story remains exactly the same as the original Ragnarok Odyssey, give or take a few details. The re-release was meant to be a reboot where we got enhanced graphics, and better gameplay. However it would have been nice to have a slightly improved or renewed story. It is hard to justify purchasing Ragnarok Odyssey twice without a good story.

Overall the game is not meant to have a great story. It is meant to have great RPG monster beat-em-up gameplay. The story found here is  more or less similar to one you would find in an MMO. Which is not totally surprising considering Ragnarok Odyssey is based of an MMO. It just would have been nice to have a great story that really grasped the attentions of players.

Replay 6/10- The replay value in Ragnarok Odyssey is not bad depending on whether you are a big RPG fan or not. For those players who are not I find it hard to believe you will even finish the entire game once, let alone go back for more. I do not say this to bash the game, but Ragnarok Odyssey Ace is definitely made with a certain type of gamer in mind.

For those gamers who are fans of this genre, Ragnarok Odyssey Ace has great potential for replay value especially if you played it through completely already. The best reasons to replay this game would be to get trophies, cards, and weapons you haven't found. Other than attempting to platinum the game I do not think there is much of a reason to replay the game.

Ragnarok Odyssey Ace definitely does improve on the replayibilty over the original Ragnarok Odyssey. By adding the 200 floor dungeon, and some new missions there is a greater reason for fans to replay Ragnarok Odyssey Ace. I should also mention that X-Seed is doing an amazing job of releasing free DLC to add to the replayibility. It is extremely admirable when companies continue to support the game free of charge through DLC.

Graphics/Sound 9/10- The graphics or artstyle in Ragnarok Odyssey Ace are not bad at all. They are not the greatest graphics in the world, however I definitely feel as if the developers pulled off exactly what they were hoping for when it game to the graphics. The graphics are definitely improved over the original Ragnarok as well. The colors are more vibrant and pop on the OLED screen.

The game runs smoothly and the sound is very well done. The number one improvement over the original Ragnarok Odyssey would be the graphics and sound. So this area is definitely a plus for the developers.

It is hard for me to recommend buying Ragnarok Odyssey Ace. The game is definitely a slight improvement over the original Ragnarok Odyssey. However, it is hard to imagine that the developers couldn't just give us a nice patch for the original and call it done. The game does add new missions, costumes, weapons, cards, abilities, and a whole new dungeon. These are big additions and I can say that for fans of the genre buying Ragnarok Odyssey Ace is not a bad purchase. I just cannot recommend buying the game to those who are not fans of the genre, or who bought the original and were unhappy.  X-Seed is an amazing company and is still supporting the game well after the release, this is a huge plus and definitely can ease the minds of owners a little knowing they will get additional content for free over the months to come. Ragnarok Oddyssey Ace is not a bad game, it is just not a big enough improvement over the original to justify a re-purchase.

 



Gameplay- 7/10

Story- 5/10

Replay- 6/10

Graphics/Sound- 9/10

 Overall-

6/10

 

 



                                     

 



 

Friday, May 09, 2014